


Tangled in the Sheets

by TheNameIsBritney



Category: Glee
Genre: Age Difference, Anderberry Siblings, Kurt is 4 years older than Blaine, M/M, One Night Stands, Song: Dead Man Walking (Jon Bellion), allusions to, but nothing happens while blaine is still underage!, no smut but suggestive language???
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-09
Updated: 2020-09-09
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:41:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,324
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26269645
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheNameIsBritney/pseuds/TheNameIsBritney
Summary: My sister has a best friend that I've known since I was three, and now I'm gonna get strangled... 'cause we tangled in the sheetsBlaine Anderson met his big sister's best friend Kurt Hummel when he was three and Kurt was seven. Ever since then, he's harboured a major crush on him, despite knowing he'soff limits. Well, that is... until twenty years later when Kurt visits Blaine at one of his shows like the ever supportive friend he is.Title and summary from Dead Man Walking by Jon Bellion
Relationships: Blaine Anderson & Rachel Berry, Blaine Anderson/Kurt Hummel, Rachel Berry & Kurt Hummel
Comments: 28
Kudos: 171





	Tangled in the Sheets

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sorry I cannot bring myself to write smut bc i feel like my face would explode so any suggestive scenes are like a....fade to black rather than anything else. I hope y'all enjoy regardless!
> 
> I really really really love the song that I based this fic on so if you wanna check it out or sth, [here's a link](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZoJZddsSfM)! I've changed a few of the lyrics to make them more suitable to the fic (e.g. pronouns and such) but the core message of the song is still deeply rooted throughout!!
> 
> also........blaine's name is still gonna be blaine anderson because he was adopted and because i personally think 'blaine berry' sounds absolutely ABSURD <3

_Call my doctor, call my lawyer, call my brother, call my priest._

_There's paperwork to fill out 'cause a dead man walks the streets,_

_'Cause my sister's got a best friend that I've known since I was three,_

_And now I'm gonna get strangled 'cause we tangled in the sheets._

* * *

Blaine is three years old when his big sister Rachel brings home a friend for the first time. Her friend's name is Kurt and he's in Rachel's second grade class with her and he is perfect. Well... as perfect as a three-year-old can comprehend. 

All Blaine knows is that Rachel's friend has a nice smile and he certainly doesn't _look_ like the other boys he's met at daycare or the playground.

"Kurt, this is my little brother, Blaine!" Rachel says gleefully, running to where Blaine is playing on the rug, Kurt following close behind. Their Papa simply chuckles and closes the door behind him. "He's three!"

Blaine blinks at the boy shyly, lifting up a hand and giving Kurt a tiny wave. "Hi." His voice comes out as a whisper and he quickly looks back down at his toys, fiddling with the flipper on his stuffed penguin.

"Hi, Blaine," Kurt says, giving his penguin a gentle pat on the head. "Who's this?" That piques his interest. Rachel hadn't ever taken much interest in his stuffed animals before. He looks up tentatively and meets Kurt's gaze. 

"Um..." Blaine looks between Kurt and Rachel who are both looking at him intently. Well, Kurt is looking at him intently. Rachel is teetering on the border between indifferent and bored. "Arf'ur," he whispers. Kurt gives him a bright smile in response.

"It's nice to meet you, Arthur!" Kurt says, reaching over and shaking Arthur's flipper, making Blaine giggle. 

Rachel lets out a sigh and stands up then, ruffling Blaine's hair before tugging on Kurt's sleeve. "C'mon, Kurt, let's go to my room!" she says impatiently, "I wanna show you the tea set Daddy and Papa got for my birthday!" 

Kurt's ears perk up at tea set and he nods, standing back up and watching as Rachel runs down the hall. He turns back to Blaine and gives him a kind smile. "Bye, Blaine," he says before bending down slightly to address the stuffed toy in his hands, "Bye, Arthur." 

Then, he's gone, running off to follow Rachel to her room, leaving Blaine and Arthur all alone. 

* * *

As the years pass, Kurt becomes an almost permanent fixture at the Berry household, joining them for family game nights and dinners and block parties. He basically grows up alongside Blaine and Rachel.

Blaine just never expected his feelings for Kurt to change as he got older. 

He'd always seen Kurt as his sister's best friend. An enigmatic, mysterious older figure who wasn't related to him _really_ but was still around almost constantly. Kurt was always kind to him, asking him about his day and about school before rushing off to join Rachel in whatever endeavour she had planned for them. Blaine had always felt slightly changed after his minimal yet meaningful exchanges with him, though. 

That changes when Blaine is 13 years old. 

It's the summer before eighth grade and the Berry's are hosting a barbecue pool party to celebrate the end of summer. Most of the families in their neighbourhood have come, including the Hummel-Hudsons. 

Blaine is standing by his Papa who's manning the barbecue and grimacing as the vegan burger patty he'd bought specifically for Rachel begins to disintegrate. He chuckles and looks at the pool where Rachel and a few of her friends are playing some absurd game. Kurt, Blaine notices, is not participating, instead sitting on a lawn chair underneath an umbrella, watching with a fond smile on his face as Rachel climbs onto Finn's shoulders unsteadily. He pats his Papa on the back before walking over to Kurt and dropping down into the vacant lawn chair next to him.

"Hey, Kurt." 

Kurt turns to him and smiles brightly, lifting his sunglasses to rest on his hair. "Hi yourself, Blaine," he says, "enjoying the party?" 

Blaine shrugs. "I guess so." None of _his_ friends had come to the party... though Blaine isn't sure if he can even call them friends. They sit next to each other in classes and sit at the same lunch table but... that's pretty much where the interaction ends for him. "Are you?" 

Kurt shrugs as well, giving him a goofy little smile. "Yeah. Your dads know how to throw a fun party." 

Blaine nods and bites his lip. He doesn't really know _when_ talking to Kurt started being so difficult. It was probably around the same time he started noticing the distinct colour of Kurt's eyes and just how tight his pants were. 

Then, something happens. 

"Kurt, come on!" Rachel calls from the edge of the pool, running her fingers through her chlorine soaked hair as she grins broadly. A few of their friends join her. "You can't come to a pool party and not swim!"

"I certainly can, Rachel," Kurt quips back, smirking as he slides his sunglasses back down over his eyes. "Watch me." Blaine watches their back and forth like he's watching a tennis game, a subtle ache in his chest. He wants a friendship like what Kurt and Rachel have. 

"C'mon, Dude!" Finn shouts as well, and Blaine narrows his eyes. He'd thought Finn and Rachel were broken up... but he supposes that's no longer the case judging by how his arm is wrapped firmly around her shoulders even as they bob together in the water. "A little pool water won't kill you." 

"I highly beg to differ," Kurt mumbles to Blaine as he tenderly strokes his perfectly done quiff. He grows quiet before standing up and gripping the hem of his shirt. Blaine's mouth goes dry. 

Everything happens in slow motion.

Kurt lifts his shirt over his head, being careful not to jostle his sunglasses. With every strip of skin that's revealed, Blaine feels himself growing more and more warm - and not just because of the summer sun beating down against the back of his neck. _Oh, God._

He'd never understood what his classmates had meant when they talked about girls. When Philip Wang had snuck a playboy magazine into his backpack and shown every single boy in their maths class, Blaine remembered glancing at it and not really _getting_ it. Sure, the girls were pretty... and he supposed some of the lingerie looked quite nice, but that's where his interest ended.

But now, watching helplessly as Kurt takes his shirt off, Blaine finally gets it. 

"You'll have to excuse me, Blaine," Kurt says, his words unknowingly falling upon deaf ears. "I have to succumb to peer pressure." 

Blaine watches as Kurt runs to the pool and dives in and _wow,_ how had he not noticed how short his swim trunks are?! 

He feels a tight stirring in his chest the longer he watches Kurt swim and laugh and _beam_ at his friends, the sun gleaming and bouncing off of Kurt's chest as rivulets of pool water travel downward toward places Blaine _really_ shouldn't be thinking about in public. He stares until it hurts too much to look at him. Blaine is now pretty sure he's memorised every single line and contour on Kurt's face. 

He stands and walks over to his dad, wrapping his arms tight around himself and frowning. His dad, who was engaging in pleasant conversation with Burt Hummel (the sight of whom made Blaine feel even sicker), turned to face him, his bright smile turning to concern. "Hey, bumble-bee," he says, eyes softening, "you alright?" 

Blaine's eyes flit between Burt and his dad and he nods jerkily. "I um... I don't feel well," he says quietly, "I think I'm gonna take a shower and head up to my room." 

His Dad nods, squeezing his arm gently. "Sure thing, Kiddo. If you need an antacid, you know I keep them in--"

"--in your medicine cupboard next to Papa's anxiety medicine. I know," he finishes for him, mustering up a small smile. He looks back to Burt and nods at him politely. "It's good to see you, Mr. Hummel."

"You too, kid," Burt says with a kind smile, "sorry you're not feelin' great." 

He shrugs and walks away from them both, slipping inside the house and running up to the bathroom, shutting and locking the door behind him, trying hard to ignore the strange way his heart is beating.

* * *

He comes home from school one afternoon, dragging his feet and his backpack behind him on the ground, struggling (and failing) to hold back tears. He's in eighth grade now, definitely old enough to take the school bus by himself because, what self-respecting eighth grader still wants their dads to drive them to school every morning? (Especially when your dads have a penchant for _singing their goodbyes_ out the window as you walk into the schoolyard with your head down).

But Blaine would take all the embarrassing singing in the world if it meant he never had to share a 15 minute bus ride with Jeremy Spalding and Ian White _ever. Again._

When he gets home, Kurt and Rachel are already there, sitting at the kitchen table and poring over an abundance of college brochures, laptops and notebooks open beside them as they furiously take notes. They both notice him as he quietly shuts the door and turns his back to them, focusing on toeing off his shoes as fast as he possibly can.

"Hey, Bee," Rachel says, resting her chin on her hands, "how was school?"

The mention of school makes his back and shoulders tense and he's sure Kurt and Rachel have noticed. He tightens his grip on his backpack and shrugs before trying to slip away, eyes trained on the floor so that _hopefully_ neither of them will see the tears gathering in the corners of his eyes. 

His master plan fails. 

He feels a gentle hand on his shoulder and he tenses again, a reflex that Blaine _really_ hopes he'll get over eventually. When he turns, there's no hiding his tears. Kurt is standing behind him, eyebrows furrowed with concern. Rachel is just a step behind him, arms crossed, looking about as intimidating as a kitten with a sweater on. Blaine supposes it's the thought that counts, though. 

"What's wrong?" she asks, eyebrows angrily knitted together.

"Um," Blaine says, struggling to keep his voice even. "J-Just some kids... at my school." He purses his lips tightly as he remembers jeering laughter and the feeling of hands pushing and shoving him into walls and lockers. "They've been sort of making fun of me recently." 

Blaine sees Kurt's jaw tense. "Making fun of you..." he says quietly, though his voice is coloured with anger. It sounds unnatural after years of hearing Kurt speak so jovially and kindly to him. "What for?"

Those two words are all it takes for the dam in Blaine's chest to crack and disintegrate. The tears come faster than he can control them and soon enough, he's sobbing uncontrollably. He barely registers the feeling of both Kurt and Rachel wrapping their arms around him as he cries. Blaine doesn't know how long they all stand there in the middle of the hallway. Eventually, he calms down, cheeks flushed with embarrassment when he sees the tear stains he's tracked into Kurt's (very, _very_ nice) shirt. 

He knows they won't _care_. Of course they won't... but there's still the nagging fear in Blaine's heart that they _will_. The words he's been dying to say are suddenly swelling up inside him, growing bigger and bigger in his throat until they're almost choking him. 

"Blaine?" Rachel says, peering up at him. "What were they picking on you for?"

Blaine breathes in shakily, his thumbnail digging into the pad of his index finger as he opens his mouth. "I'm gay."

Silence. 

Then, Blaine feels an arm wrap slowly and steadily around his shoulders, the scent of vanilla and jasmine filling his senses as Kurt firmly rubs his arm. It fills him with more warmth and comfort than he's felt in _weeks_. 

"Oh, Blaine," he says quietly, and Blaine can feel the way Kurt's thumb is gently rubbing his shoulder _so intensely_. "Have you talked to anyone else about this? Your friends or your dads?"

Blaine bites his lip, looking down at the carpet. "I... I don't really have any friends," he whispers, "and I haven't told... you guys are the first people I've told." 

He feels a soft hand cup his cheek and he looks up, seeing Rachel gazing at him softly. "You know we love you, Bee," she says softly, "if you want, we can talk to Dad and Papa about it together." 

Her support makes another involuntary sob escape him and he nods, shuffling until her arms are wrapped tightly around his neck. 

That night, he comes out to his dads and tells them everything. The next day, he's being enrolled in Dalton Academy for Boys, and almost immediately, it feels as though a ten-tonne weight has been lifted off of his shoulders. 

* * *

Just before Blaine begins his freshman year of high school, he, his dads, and the Hummel-Hudsons all drive to the airport to send Kurt and Rachel off to New York. It's surprisingly... sad. 

Blaine knew he would miss his sister tons, of course he would. Who else would hog their conjoined bathroom in the mornings? Or secretly eat Blaine's Ben & Jerry's at midnight on one of her non-vegan days? Who else would he stay up until 3am with, watching awful, _awful_ movies and eating too much popcorn? 

But what Blaine _wasn't_ expecting was just how sad it would be saying goodbye to Kurt. 

Beautiful, kind, _perfect_ Kurt, who was always there. Who always had a smile for Blaine and always laughed at his stupid jokes. 

Suffice to say, Blaine's crush hadn't gotten any smaller after the pool party incident of last summer. In fact, it had only grown. He couldn't help it. Something about Kurt just set his heart on edge. 

He stays behind, quietly watching as his parents and Kurt's parents hug their children goodbye, sharing teary smiles and whispered words. He felt distinctly out of place amongst all of the sentiment. 

Hiram kisses the top of Rachel's head gently and brushes her hair back before stepping away. Rachel wipes away a tear gathering in the corner of her eye as she turns towards Blaine. She outstretches her arms. "Are you too old to hug me goodbye?" she asks, a watery smile on her face. Blaine grins, walking forward and wrapping his arms tightly around her small frame. She lets out a soft sigh. "Ugh... you're not allowed to grow taller than me, okay?" she mumbles before pulling away. 

Blaine laughs and rolls his eyes, discretely trying to wipe his own tears. "Whatever... no promises," he mumbles. He glances up and sees Kurt looking at them, smiling fondly, one hand resting on his luggage handle and the other on his hip. He flushes brightly and gives Kurt a shy smile, dropping his arms to his sides and stuffing them in his pockets. "Bye, Kurt." 

Kurt tuts quietly, smiling at Blaine. "Is that all I get?" he asks, patting his chest with mock hurt. "We're basically family, aren't we?" 

Blaine can't fight the grin that grows on his face as he steps forward and wraps his arms around Kurt in a tight hug. He savours the feeling, clenching his nails into his palm to keep from completely burying his nose in Kurt's shoulder. "I'll um..." he mumbles, "I'll miss you. Or, uh... I-I'll miss you both."

Kurt chuckles and squeezes Blaine's shoulder gently before pulling away, eyes twinkling. "We'll see you at Christmas!" he says as he takes a step back. Blaine finds himself immediately missing Kurt's warmth. "You won't have any time to miss us." 

With that, they grab their luggages and walk away, backs turned and arms linked, ready to face New York. All Blaine is left with is the memory of Kurt's arms around his back and the familiar smell of his cologne lingering in his nose. 

* * *

When Rachel and Kurt come back for winter break, Blaine doesn't get the chance to see him until four days after they arrive. For the first few days of his break, he tries to ignore the disappointment that sits in his stomach whenever Rachel gets home from a day out without Kurt in tow. 

One afternoon as Blaine sits on his bed, lazily scrolling through his YouTube homepage looking for something to occupy his boredom, Rachel storms in without knocking. The sound of the door swinging open surprises Blaine so much that he jumps, shutting his laptop lid reflexively. He calms down and lets out a short breath when he realises it's just Rachel. She barges in without asking and takes a seat on Blaine's bed, a smirk on her face.

"Why are you so antsy?" she asks, eyes flickering between Blaine's now-closed laptop and him, "were you looking at something you weren't supposed to?" 

Blaine flushes brightly, shoving her shoulder. "No! Shut up, you... you shocked me, that's all," he mumbles, scratching the back of his neck. "What do you want?"

Rachel sighs and lies down on Blaine's bed, causing him to scoot over to make room. She grabs one of his pillows and hugs it to her chest. "The Hummel-Hudsons are throwing a Christmas party," Rachel says, "we're invited, obviously."

Blaine desperately ignores the way his heart starts beating the slightest bit faster. "O-Oh?" he says, feigning nonchalance. 

"Mhmm," Rachel hums, playing with a loose thread on the edge of Blaine's pillowcase, "it's tonight at 6."

"Tonight?!" Blaine says, checking the time. It's already 4. _Shit._ He knows for a fact that he's scruffy _and_ he probably smells like sleep and bedsheets after staying in bed all day. Two hours is not nearly enough time to get ready for a party. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?!" 

Rachel furrows her eyebrows and sits up, looking at him strangely. "Blaine, calm down," she says with a laugh, "do you have other plans or something?" 

He's barely listening to her, stumbling off of his bed and walking towards his mirror, grimacing at the sight he's beholden with. He looks positively _homeless_. "I have to get ready." He looks at Rachel who's staring at him with a smirk. He knows that look all too well. "I call dibs on the bathroom!"

The both of them run out of Blaine's bedroom, almost comedically getting stuck in the doorway as the both of them try to exit at once. Blaine beats Rachel to the bathroom in record time, slamming the door shut and locking it as Rachel whines about head starts and _I'm in heels, that's not fair, Blaine!_ He doesn't listen to her. 

He has a party to prepare for.

* * *

Blaine, Rachel, and their dads arrive at the Hummel-Hudson's, fashionably late _of course_ , and ring the doorbell. Carole answers the door with a bright smile, hugging both Rachel and Blaine and greeting Hiram and Leroy before quickly waving them in. 

"Come in, come in! Oh, it's been too long since we've seen you!" she says. She turns to Blaine and coos, patting his cheek gently. "Oh, Blaine, you're so grown up!" 

Blaine flushes under the attention. He can see Rachel trying to conceal her laughter out of the corner of his eye. "Thanks, Mrs. Hudson," he says, smiling at her politely, "we brought latkes!" He brandishes a large dish covered in foil which she gladly takes from him.

"Oh, you're all so sweet," Carole says, "Rachel, Blaine, why don't you two head downstairs to Kurt's room? That's where all the other _young adults_ are." She concludes her sentence with a wink before turning her attention to Hiram and Leroy. 

Rachel bumps her shoulder against his teasingly. "Think you're mature enough to hang with the _young adults_ , Blaine?" she asks. Blaine frowns, nudging her right back.

"Watch it," he says, though his words are entirely playful. "I'm gonna be taller than you soon."

She laughs and they head down the stairs together. With each step they take, Blaine can feel his breath hitch in his chest. He's been in Kurt's house before -- a side effect of his parents being such good friends with the Hummels -- but... he's never been in Kurt's _room_. Just the thought of it makes Blaine flush. It all feels so... _intimate._

When they step inside the basement, Blaine marvels, eyes darting across from wall to wall. There are a few bare spots on the walls where Blaine assumes posters that Kurt had packed up and taken to New York used to hang and a few trinkets and photo frames here and there. It's classy yet _warm_. Blaine never would've imagined anything different.

He looks around the room, feeling distinctly out of place when Rachel abandons him to go say hello to a few of her friends, leaving him lingering by the staircase awkwardly. Maybe Rachel was right. _Maybe I'm not mature enough to be down here._

"Blaine!"

The voice sounds like his saving grace. Blaine looks up and sees Kurt walking towards him. He resists the urge to drop his jaw in shock. It appears that New York has been very... _very_ good to Kurt. He looks happier, more confident. There's a happy twinkle in Kurt's eye that hadn't been there a few months ago. It makes Blaine smile.

"H-Hi, Kurt," he says, clearing his throat when his voice cracks awfully. He can feel heat rising up the back of his neck. "Thanks for inviting me."

Kurt simply smiles, reaching out and squeezing Blaine's shoulder. "Of course! You're like family," he says, "I guess Rachel abandoned you, huh?"

Blaine shrugs. "As always," he replies with a shrug, "you know how she gets."

Kurt rolls his eyes, but the smile on his face is fond if anything else. "I certainly do," he sighs and pats Blaine on the arm. "It's good to see you, Blaine. How's school been?"

"Good!" Blaine says, perking up just the slightest bit, "I-I joined the Warblers. I wasn't allowed to last year 'cause the middle school division of Dalton can't audition for high school extracurriculars but I auditioned this year and I got in."

"That's amazing!" Kurt says brightly, "the New Directions competed against the Warblers a couple of times. They're a good team." He pauses, a funny smirk growing on his face. "I guess this makes you the enemy, huh?" 

Blaine laughs perhaps too vigorously, but Kurt doesn't seem to mind. "I-I guess so. I promise, I won't try to steal any set lists or anything." Kurt chuckles, and the sound makes Blaine feel like he's won a prize. "How's New York?"

Even at the very mention of the city, Blaine can see Kurt's entire demeanour change entirely. He stands up straighter, smiles brighter, widens his eyes... he looks positively ecstatic. "Oh, Blaine, it's _wonderful_ ," he sighs, "it's everything that I ever thought it would be." 

Blaine grins. "That's awesome, Kurt. I-I..." he falters, scratching the back of his neck, "I know Rachel really loves it over there. I'm... I'm glad she has you." 

Then, Kurt smiles wider and drops his hand, clutching Blaine's wrist. "I almost forgot! I got you a little something." Blaine watches as Kurt runs to the corner of the room where his bag is sitting and rifles through it, pulling out a small pin in a little plastic bag. Kurt returns and hands it to him. It's a little button-pin with rainbow stripes on it and _NYADA Pride!_ brandished on the front in red text. It's a small trinket, but to Blaine it means the world. "I was walking through campus on orientation day and I found the NYADA pride stall. I thought I'd bring this back for you." 

Blaine stares at the pin for a little too long before looking up at Kurt, blinking rapidly to stave off the tears that he can feel building up. "I... thank you, Kurt," he says, clearing his throat again. "I-I didn't get you anything, though."

Kurt waves it off casually before they are both distracted by a voice coming from the corner of Kurt's room. 

"Oh, look!" It's Santana who's sitting with Quinn and Brittany on Kurt's sofa, a devious smirk on her face as she points at the both of them. "Kurt and Berry Mini have been caught under the mistletoe!" 

Blaine's face burns brightly as he hears quiet titters of laughter spread among Rachel's friends. He and Kurt both look up and see a piece of mistletoe haphazardly taped to the top of the doorway. He knows for a _fact_ that his face is completely red with embarrassment. _Fuck._ He looks back at Kurt who's staring up at the piece of mistletoe confusedly. 

Before he has the time to even consider running away though, he feels a pair of lips pressing themselves against his cheek, just gently. The touch is so light that it's barely there but Blaine feels it perhaps too intensely. 

The feeling is gone almost as soon as it's arrived and Kurt is pulling away from him with an apologetic smile on his face. "Sorry about that," he mumbles quietly, squeezing Blaine's arm before walking towards Santana, no doubt to chastise her. 

His cheek is still tingling as he watches Kurt walk away. He looks around and makes sure no one is watching him before he looks down at the ground, letting himself smile widely to himself. _Did that count as his first kiss?_

He walks over to where a few of Kurt's friends are playing video games on his TV, coincidentally right in front of the couch where Kurt and Santana are talking, and sits down on the floor next to Sam who gives him a friendly smile before turning back to focus on whatever game he's playing. His ears perk up when he hears Kurt talking to Santana, but he doesn't turn around. 

"What was the point of doing that to him?" Blaine hears Kurt asks her, "poor thing, he was completely embarrassed."

"I know!" Santana says with a cruel laugh, "I thought his head would explode when you gave him that grandma-style peck on the cheek." She pauses and Blaine's heart sinks in his chest when he hears what she says next. "You know he's got a _huge_ crush on you, right? It's kinda weird." 

Blaine can barely hear Kurt's response over the sound of his own heart beating in his ears. But as soon as his name leaves Kurt's lips, it's like time stops. 

"Santana, Blaine's just a kid," Kurt says tiredly, "he doesn't have a crush on me." 

_Just a kid._

That was all he was to Kurt. Just a kid. His best friend's annoying younger brother who was always around, always _dying_ to be involved with the grown ups. All of a sudden, Blaine could feel shame rising up the back of his neck and colouring his complexion as the basement walls seemed to almost close in on him. He had to leave. 

He stands up quickly and walks towards the doorway, practically sprinting up the stairs to the living room and taking a few gasping breaths. He finds his Papa in the kitchen, pouring himself a glass of wine and he walks over, practically glueing himself to his side. He feels like his three years old again, clinging to his father and hiding behind him after being approached by strangers. 

Leroy seems to sense something's up and puts down the wine bottle, turning to face Blaine. "Hey," he says quietly, "why aren't you downstairs?" 

Blaine shrugs, mustering up a small smile. "Wanted to spend time with you guys up here, that's all," he says, his voice cracking -- a sharp reminder of his age. It makes him wince. 

If Leroy notices something is wrong, he thankfully doesn't mention it, instead abandoning his wine glass and wrapping an arm around Blaine's shoulders. "Of course," he says, squeezing one of Blaine's shoulders. "You're certainly mature enough to hang out with the adults."

A comment like that usually would've made a sense of pride shoot through Blaine's body, but now it just serves as an awful reminder of the way he so badly _humiliated_ himself. So he smiles like nothing is wrong and walks towards the couch with his papa and sits down next to him.

He doesn't say much for the rest of the night.

* * *

_Beautiful family friend is he._

_Just half a decade older than me,_

_And I've been gone for quite a while overseas, yeah..._

_And he's been livin' up in Albany._

* * *

Eventually, Blaine gets over his crush on Kurt... more or less. It takes a few months, but sooner or later, the sound of Kurt's name doesn't bother him so much anymore. He grows up and fills out. He doesn't get much taller which is unfortunate, but he's taller than Rachel now and that's enough for him. And if hearing Rachel talk about Kurt or hearing his voice in the background of their Skype calls still causes Blaine's heart to beat just the tiniest bit faster, he staunchly ignores it.

He spends the rest of his high school years at Dalton as the lead singer of the Warblers which does enough to boost his ego. He even gets a boyfriend during his senior year, another warbler named Sebastian who'd seemed worldly and classy at first, but just ended up being smarmy and a little _too_ excitable, if you catch Blaine's drift. 

A part of him perpetually wonders if all of this was because of Kurt. If he'd even bothered to say _yes_ to Sebastian's advances if he weren't still trying to forget about him. Even at 18, Kurt still manages to have the same hold on him as he did when Blaine was just an incredibly awkward 14-year-old. His grip has lessened over the years, but it's still always _there_ , constantly reminding Blaine of what would never be. 

At the beginning of his senior year, he gets an email from a man named Cooper who claims to be the brother he'd never met and, after verifying his identity and months of exchanging emails and calls, Blaine graduates and moves to Los Angeles. Rachel had been upset initially. She'd always thought he would follow in her footsteps and apply to NYADA so they could become the next Shirley MacLaine and Warren Beatty, but... the older Blaine got, the less he felt the need to cling to his sister's side. He still loved her, of course, but he just didn't need her in the same way anymore.

So, Blaine moves to Los Angeles and moves in with Cooper who is overbearing but well-intentioned in person. He goes to school, he gets a job at a coffee shop, he dates (but they never stick around). He moves on with his life.

At 22, with a degree in Musical Theatre from USC, Blaine joins the _Skylight Theatre Company._ When he first joins, he doesn't get many big roles. Mainly ensemble or featured but he's still having the time of his _life_ performing for an audience again. Despite the amount of times Cooper had tried to get him to abandon his dreams of theatre and go for TV and film instead, there was still something Blaine loved about performing live. Something he'd never be able to let go of.

Then, the day of Blaine's 23rd birthday, he gets an email from a theatre company he'd auditioned for a few weeks prior. He's gotten the role of _Emmett Forrest_ in their production of _Legally Blonde_ which is set to begin touring in a mere three months from now. Rehearsals start in two weeks and their first tour location is Seattle, Washington. 

As Blaine excitedly scrolls through the list of locations, mentally checking off boxes in his head when he sees a state that he knows he has friends in, he comes across a theatre in New York and he freezes. New York. 

The inner 14-year-old within Blaine jumps for joy at that. Part of him wants Kurt to come and see him perform, just to see how _grown_ Blaine's become. He knows its mildly (okay incredibly) pathetic to still hold a comment made nine years ago against him when Kurt isn't even aware that he'd heard it. But throughout the years, the comment had stuck with him. He'd never quite been able to shuck the _'just a kid'_ chip that rested firmly and heavily on his shoulder.

He gets home from his first rehearsal positively _invigorated_. He loves the creative team and the girl playing Elle is an absolute sweetheart. Blaine honestly couldn't have dreamed of having a better day, and he gets _paid_ to do this? The thought makes him giddy. 

Cooper isn't home yet so he sits down on the couch and pulls out his computer, his fingers itching as he opens Facebook. He hadn't wanted to make the announcement too early but after the rehearsal he's just had, he finds he doesn't really want to think about anything else. So, he types quickly and posts a new status.

_**Blaine Devon Anderson** 1h_

_So, I have some very exciting news I've been dying to share for the past two weeks that I haven't really told anyone yet because I was afraid of jinxing it but after the day I've had, I just needed to talk about it._

_I've been cast as Emmett Forrest in Cornerstone Theatre Company's touring production of_ _Legally Blonde! We hit the road in about three months and I can't wait! If you're interested in coming to watch, please feel free to check this link to see when/where we'll be performing! I know for a fact that I'll be in some of your states, so I hope I get to see some friendly faces in the audience! :)_

_https://www.cornerstonetheatre.com/legally_blonde_tour_2020_

**_Liked by Kurt Hummel and 24 others. Comments (11)_ **

**_Rachel Berry_** _CALL ME RIGHT NOW_

 ** _Wesley Montgomery_ ** _Congrats dude!! LA will miss you while you're gone_

 **_Sebastian Smythe_** _Ooh Seattle? I'll be there, handsome ;)_

 **_Kurt Elizabeth Hummel_ ** _You're coming to New York! Buying a ticket as I type :)_

The last comment gives Blaine pause. He reads it over and over again, the words seemingly growing louder in his head until he has to shut his laptop and push it away from him. 

Surely he was just being friendly. Kurt was just, yet again, humouring his best friend's little brother. Still, there's a raw excitement that builds in the bottom of his belly. An excitement that he hasn't felt since Kurt's lips gently brushed against his cheek that night at the Christmas party. Blaine reopens his laptop and bites his lip, slowly dragging his finger across the trackpad and hovering over Kurt's name. 

He clicks it. 

The page takes a second to load before he's faced with Kurt's facebook profile. His profile picture was a [candid shot](https://a.wattpad.com/cover/42733069-288-k779284.jpg) of him, staring up just slightly, a pensive look on his face. He wasn't smiling, but Blaine could still recognise that happy twinkle in his eye. _Damn_. Time had done nothing but good things to Kurt Hummel. 

He scrolled through Kurt's profile, eyes scanning through Kurt's personal information column curiously. _Lives in Albany, New York._ Apparently he co-founded a fashion magazine with a friend straight out of college and was the editor-in-chief. He _also_ performed every so often with a local theatre troupe whilst offering vocal coach services during his free time. There truly wasn't anything Kurt couldn't do. 

Blaine scrolls through his pictures, his heart beginning to beat at a familiar pace the longer he looked at Kurt's bright, smiling face. Suddenly, he's 14 again, wistfully trying _not_ to stare at his big sister's best friend as he sits across from him at the dinner table. He shut his laptop again and sighed quietly, imagining a dozen ways his reunion with Kurt could go. 

* * *

_Then I had two shows I played up state,_

_He came to show love and see my face,_

_Then we got drinks and we chilled like 'hey'._

_And from there it was... you know what I'm saying?_

* * *

The text messages come after Blaine's first performance in New York. Their first show had been in a theatre in Manhattan. They'd been met with an incredibly generous and enthusiastic audience, including Rachel herself who'd enthusiastically given Blaine a standing ovation during their bows. Tomorrow morning, they would be taking a bus together up to Albany for their second and last show in New York. 

After the show, Blaine retreats to the dressing rooms and gently takes off his mic tape and reaches for a make up wipe. He makes conversation with his fellow cast members, congratulating each other on yet another amazing show before his buzzing phone catches his attention. 

_**From 518-608-2016, 9:01pm:  
**Hey, Blaine! It's Kurt. Rachel gave me your number :) I just wanted to let you know I'm so excited to see the show tomorrow night! _ _I was wondering if you'd like to catch up after the show? If you're not too tired that is_

 **_From 518-608-2016, 9:01pm:  
_ ** _It would be really, really great to see you_

Blaine slowly reads Kurt's texts as he loosens his tie, unable to stop the way a smile slowly begins to grow on his face. This smile does _not_ go unnoticed.

"Who're you texting, Blaine?" Cammie, his Elle Woods, asks cheekily. She's already taken off her blonde wig and all of her make up somehow. She's a notoriously fast changer. Blaine looks up and turns his phone off quickly.

"No one." He responds too quickly, shucking off his costume blazer and trying to slide past her. "I have to go turn in my costumes for the night so, if you'll excuse me."

"You can run, but you can't hide!" he hears her yell as he slips out of the dressing room area and hurries to find the person in charge of his costumes. His face is still flushed. Blaine blames it on post-show excitement, and definitely _not_ on the texts that remain unanswered on his phone. 

* * *

_**From Blaine Anderson, 9:24pm:  
**Hey! Sorry for the late reply, you know what post-show craziness can be like haha_

**_From Blaine Anderson, 9:24pm:  
_ ** _I'd love to catch up tomorrow night. It would be great to see you too :)_

That night, he saves Kurt's phone number into his contacts and spends a little too much time staring at it. He falls asleep like that, with his phone in his palm and Kurt's name circling his mind like jumping sheep.

* * *

The next morning is incredibly hectic. Blaine barely has time to brush his teeth and slap some moisturizer and sunscreen on before he and his suite-mate Dan (the man playing Kyle) are being hustled down to the lobby to check out and load themselves onto the bus to drive to Albany. The moment he sinks down into the mildly uncomfortable seats of the coach, his eyes flutter shut and he leans over to rest his temple against the cool glass window. 

His momentary bliss is interrupted by his phone buzzing in his pocket. He groans quietly before fishing it out of his pocket, rubbing his eyes as he glances at the notifications on his lock screen.

_**From Kurt Hummel, 6:09am:  
**Morning, superstar! I just checked out some of the promo footage on your website. The show looks amazing!_

**_From Kurt Hummel, 6:09am:  
_ ** _You look amazing too, but I think that's a given :)_

Kurt's words shock Blaine's body into full wakeness. He rubs his eyes again, this time trying to clear his eyes instead of rub the sleep away from them, before reading the text again. The words don't change. Kurt _really_ said that. 

_**From Blaine Anderson, 6:11am:  
**You're up early haha _

**_From Blaine Anderson, 6:11am:  
_ ** _Thanks! I'm super proud of the work we've done on the show. Can't wait for you to see it._

Kurt doesn't respond immediately so Blaine assumes he's stepped away from his phone and went to go about his morning and presumably get ready for work, so he plugs his earphones in and turns his music up to a distractingly high volume, resolving to look out the window and _not_ think about compliments embedded within text messages from his sister's best friend and also the object of his pre-pubescent affections.

That plan doesn't last very long, because not halfway through the first song on Blaine's playlist, he feels his phone vibrate yet again. It's almost embarrassing how quickly he turns his head to catch the notification as it lights up his phone screen.

_**From Kurt Hummel, 6:13am:  
**I'm so excited! :)_

**_From Kurt Hummel,_ ** _**6:13am:  
**How long are you in New York for?_

Blaine can't help himself. He replies immediately.

_**From Blaine Anderson, 6:13am:  
**We have the whole day off tomorrow and then we're flying to Toronto on Sunday!_

Blaine stares at his phone, his thumb caught between his teeth as he watches a text bubble pop up and disappear multiple times. He can't look away from the screen. Finally, Kurt's message appears.

_**From Kurt Hummel, 6:14am:  
**Do you have plans for after the show? If not, I'd love to get a drink and catch up if you're not doing anything with your castmates_

It takes everything Blaine has in him to not immediately jump for joy and disturb all of the sleeping cast and crew members on the coach. Instead, he grins to himself and bites down on his thumb just the tiniest bit harder. 

_**From Blaine Anderson, 6:14am:  
**No plans :) drinks sound great_

_**From Kurt Hummel, 6:14am:  
**Great! I'll take you to my favourite bar downtown, you'll love it._

_**From Kurt Hummel, 6:15am:  
**See you tonight :)_

For the rest of the ride up to Albany, Kurt doesn't text again, but the smile on Blaine's face persists nevertheless.

* * *

The day passes in a flurry of motion and movement, just as it does every show day. They arrive at the hotel around 8am and have a few hours to themselves before their call time at 5. Blaine takes a quick nap before having lunch with his cast mates. He's mostly silent, though, idly listening to his friends talk amongst themselves as he sits, waiting in anticipation for tonight. 

If his friends notice, they don't say anything.

Soon enough, it's time to head to the theatre. When they arrive, they're greeted by their crew and guided towards the dressing rooms. Their stage manager Ben gives Blaine a smirk when he enters the theatre. Blaine returns his smirk with a confused smile. 

"You have an admirer," Ben says, nodding in the general direction of the stairwell leading to the dressing room Blaine is sharing for the night. 

Blaine's heart begins to race. "What?" 

Ben simply shrugs teasingly before scurrying off to go get ready himself, leaving Blaine confused and alone in the wings. Tentatively, he walks towards the stairwell and climbs up two steps at a time, power-walking into his dressing room where a few of his cast mates already are. The vanity area is split into four sections, his section hastily labelled with a piece of masking tape that says 'Blaine' on it, written in pink sharpie. In front of his mirror is a bouquet of red and yellow roses. He raises his eyebrows and glances toward Dan who's lounging on the couch with their two other dressing roommates for the night. 

"Those were there when I got there," Dan says, running his fingers sleepily through his hair. A smirk grows on his face and he throws Blaine a wink. "I definitely _didn't_ read the note."

A flush grows on Blaine's cheeks as he turns back to the bouquet, seeing a small card attached to the ribbon. He sits down in his chair and flips the card over. 

_Blaine,  
Break a leg! I'll be in the audience cheering the loudest and probably embarrassing you :)  
Kurt xx_

Blaine stares at the two little 'x's for perhaps too long, a smile creeping onto his face as he studies every dip and curve of Kurt's handwriting, a newfound energy filling his body as the clock ticks closer and closer to 7pm.

* * *

Blaine thought that once he actually hit the stage, he would be distracted. He was worried that knowing Kurt was in the audience would throw him off of his game, somehow. But as soon as the warm lights hit his face and he says his first line, he's thrown into his role, putting 110% into playing Emmett, the same way he does every night, except this time there's a new passion in his performance. It suddenly doesn't matter that Kurt is watching him perform, all that matters is putting on the best show he's ever performed. 

And apparently, it shows because after the most invigorating performance of _Chip on My Shoulder_ of his career, he receives a standing ovation, the first he's received mid-performance throughout the entire tour. Once the number is over, he runs offstage to make his next cue, a wide grin on his face as he receives pats on the back from cast and crew alike. He feels pride swelling in his chest, knowing that Kurt just witnessed him giving one of the best performances of his (short but substantial) career. 

He can't _wait_ for the show to be over.

Finally, the final notes are sung and everyone runs offstage, readying themselves for bows. Blaine runs onstage after the woman playing Paulette (a sweet older woman named Pamela who reminded Blaine of his mother), grinning widely at the audience as he takes his bow. He lingers for a moment, eyes roving across all the unfamiliar faces, hoping to catch a glimpse of Kurt. As he moves to the side of the stage to make room for Cammie, he catches a glimpse of bright blue eyes, staring at him from an orchestra seat right in the middle of the theatre. _Kurt._

Blaine's smile grows the smallest bit wider as he claps along with the audience and the cast before walking towards centre stage, grabbing Cammie's hand, and bowing one last time. 

The curtains lower and he can hear the last of the audience's cheers and applause die out as people begin to leave the theatre and get on with his evening. Blaine isn't even off the stage before he's untying his tie and shucking off his blazer, ignoring everyone as he runs to the dressing room to get changed as fast as he can. He doesn't want to keep Kurt waiting after all. 

He reaches his dressing room before anyone else, wiping his face with a make-up wipe carefully so as to lessen the chance of any unfortunate redness on his face. Usually, he likes to decompress slowly after a show, taking his time with his clothes and making sure they're all neat and tidy before handing them off to the costume department and washing his face meticulously and slowly to get every last bit of make-up off. This time, however, Blaine gets changed and cleans his face in a record-breaking 20 minutes, grabbing his bag and barely saying goodbye to the rest of the cast before rushing out the stage door to meet Kurt.

He bypasses a few eager audience members, before rushing out into the cold New York air. Then, he spots Kurt, standing by the road, casually leaning against a lamp post as he stares down at his phone. He isn't prepared for the way Kurt looks up as he approaches. 

_God_ , he looks amazing, though Blaine wasn't at all surprised. His legs look about a mile long in those pants, and his chest and shoulders have definitely filled out, only complimented by the dark peacoat wrapped around his frame, but what draws Blaine's attention most is his smile. When Kurt smiles, he smiles with his whole face. His cheeks lift and his eyes twinkle and his lips - _God, those lips -_ curve upwards so beautifully that Blaine has a hard time looking away. 

"Blaine!" Kurt says, taking a step forward and dropping his phone into his coat pocket. Blaine momentarily stills. He's not entirely sure what the protocol for this is. Do they hug? Shake hands? Nod politely?

Kurt answers the question for him as he opens his arms and steps right into Blaine's space, wrapping his arms firmly around his shoulders and tugging him forward. He smells fantastic. Blaine quickly wraps his own arms around Kurt's waist and squeezes gently, remembering when he was 13-years-old, dropping Rachel and Kurt off at the airport before ninth grade. Blaine just hopes Kurt can't feel the way his heart is rapidly beating in his chest. 

"Oh, it's so good to see you," Kurt murmurs, the sound of his voice right next to Blaine's ear making his face feel hot. 

Blaine forces himself to pull away after a moment, dropping his arms as Kurt drops his and taking a step back. He blinks a few times as he looks at Kurt up close. _Wow_. "I... it's good to see you too!" He mentally pats himself on the back when his voice doesn't crack _or_ shake. 

Then, Kurt takes a tiny step back, appraising him with a quiet, unreadable look on his face. Blaine raises his eyebrows minutely when he sees Kurt's eyes not-so-subtly roam up and down his body, almost as though he's analysing him. "Wow, Blaine," Kurt says. He sounds almost breathless. "Look at you, all grown up."

Blaine laughs bashfully and shrugs. "You'd be surprised at how big a difference nine years makes," he says softly, feeling warm and squirmy under Kurt's gaze. "Did you still wanna get drinks?"

Kurt's eyes light up and he nods, regaining his focus. "Yes! Yes, of course," he says, looking down at the ground before returning his gaze to Blaine. "Sorry, I just... it just hit me how long it's been." 

"It has been a while," Blaine says quietly, fiddling with the edge of his coat sleeve, "but I'm, um... I'm glad we're doing this. C-catching up, I mean." 

The smile Kurt gives him makes Blaine feel like he could run a marathon. "So am I." His voice is quiet, tinged with something soft that Blaine isn't entirely familiar with. It makes a surge of hope shoot through his chest. "It's a really short walk to the bar if you don't mind the cold." 

It isn't until Kurt mentions the cold that Blaine realises he hasn't felt the bitter chill in the air at _all._ "I don't mind the cold at all." 

They walk side by side, not touching but close enough that it sets all the hairs on Blaine's arms and knuckles on edge. Kurt's hand is _so close_ to his, it would only take the slightest of moves to make their hands brush. He feels like a shy teenager on his first date. The idea makes Blaine want to giggle absurdly - thankfully, he doesn't. 

Once they reach the bar, Kurt walks in, Blaine following close behind as he takes the two of them to a secluded, dimly lit booth. For a Saturday night, the bar isn't too crowded, but there's a light smattering of background noise and conversation that's _just_ loud enough to allow Blaine to have to scooch the slightest bit closer to Kurt to hear him.

Despite Blaine's protests, Kurt insists on buying the first round of drinks. A few minutes later, Blaine's holding a rum and coke in his hand and sitting mere inches away from Kurt. "So, I heard you started your own fashion magazine." _Heard... stalked you on Facebook... same thing, right?_

"Yes, I did!" Kurt says, an excited smile taking over his features. He looks so _happy_ it makes Blaine ache. "After Rachel and I graduated from college, I realised that I kind of... I was missing something. I love performing and I still do it whenever I can, but... fashion was something that was always purely mine, you know?" he pauses and takes a sip of his drink, eyes momentarily drifting towards the other crowded tables. "So, when I graduated, my friend Elliott and I started _Studio_ together. We've been incredibly lucky."

"Luck has nothing to do with it," Blaine says softly. He takes a chance and puts a little more weight on his left elbow, leaning towards Kurt. "You're incredibly talented, Kurt." 

Even under the dim lights, Blaine can see the way a light blush covers Kurt's cheeks as he smiles, obviously pleased at the compliment. "So are you," he replies, stirring his straw around his glass slowly. Blaine's eyes drop to look at Kurt's fingers, delicately gripping the thin plastic. "You were _electric_ on that stage." 

"It comes with being a Berry, I suppose," he says with a nervous chuckle. Blaine feels Kurt's eyes on him, making the back of his neck feel warm. He looks up and meets Kurt's gaze as he takes a sip of his drink, the sweet taste of the rum lingering on his tongue. The eye contact feels... different. _Wired_. The hairs on the back of Blaine's neck are standing up - or at least they would be if he hadn't re-gelled after the show. He isn't sure what it is that makes him so bold, maybe the rum, but he puts his glass down and looks at Kurt, one eyebrow raised and a smirk playing at the corners of his lips. "So... Elliott? Is he just a friend?" 

From the smirk on Kurt's face, Blaine can tell he doesn't entirely mind his sudden brashness. " _Just_ a friend. We had a short fling a few years ago before we started the magazine together but it didn't last. It was for the best." A faraway look comes across Kurt's eyes then as he finishes his sentence. "What about you? Are you seeing anyone?" 

"Nope," Blaine says, perhaps much too quickly. Kurt doesn't look like he minds, though. "I uh... I didn't wanna start seeing anyone right before the tour, so..." 

Kurt hums quietly, nodding as he wraps his lips around his straw and takes a sip of his drink. Blaine's eyes dart down to Kurt's lips and he unconsciously licks his own, slowly rubbing the palms of his hands against his pants. When he looks back up, he catches Kurt's eye. Instead of feeling embarrassed at being caught openly staring at Kurt's lips, though, Blaine feels... oddly calm. 

"That's... interesting," Kurt says softly. 

Blaine doesn't think he's imagining it when he feels a light tap against his ankle. At first, he ignores it, thinking it was just an accident... but then the tap becomes more intentional. Kurt's calf is completely pressed against his own now, their ankles basically entwined. He hides his smile against the rim of his glass as he finishes the last of his drink off, his eyes never leaving Kurt's. 

"How about I go get us another round?" Blaine asks, gesturing towards Kurt's cup which is mostly ice by now. Kurt wrinkles his nose before blinking up at Blaine through hooded eyelashes. The sight makes Blaine's breath catch in his throat.

"You _could_ ," he starts slowly, taking the straw out of his glass and spinning it between his fingers, "or... we could go drink somewhere else."

Blaine raises his eyebrows playfully. "What do you suggest?"

The look Kurt gives him is searing. "I have alcohol at my place." 

Blaine briefly wonders how a younger version of him would've reacted to such a blatant proposition. He might've froze, shocked and unsure of how to deal with such a sudden turn of events. He might've run away. He doesn't really know what he would've done as a shy 14-year-old... but what he does know is how he, a not-so-shy 23-year-old, _wants_ to react. 

He gives Kurt a small, alluring smile and gestures for him to exit the booth first, his eyes fixed on Kurt's steadily darkening pupils. "Lead the way."

* * *

_Now he's like "Damn, how did we let this happen?"_

_"Damn, how did we end up in this bed?" then,_

_I said "relax" and laughed like, "this would be a pretty dope song."_

* * *

Blaine wakes up the next day in a bed that smells _heavenly._ He doesn't open his eyes yet, wondering if he's somehow landed in a very elaborate, tactile dream as he snuggles deeper into the warmth beside him. His hand slowly travels down the bedsheets... before he realises that it's not a bed that he's touching. He finally opens his eyes and looks up, seeing a very asleep Kurt laying beside him, lips slightly parted and chest moving up and down as he takes slow, even breaths. 

Then, Blaine remembers. He remembers a cab ride filled with 'accidental' touches and brushes, hands lingering on the smalls of backs as they make their way up to Kurt's apartment. He remembers the feeling of being pushed up against a door, the doorknob digging uncomfortably into his hip (but he also remembers not caring about that at _all)_. Despite the alcohol mildly colouring Blaine's memory, he still remembers how Kurt's lips had slotted perfectly against his own, how the contours of their bodies fit so well together. If he closes his eyes, he can still feel the ghost of Kurt's hands roaming all over his naked skin. 

Naked. Blaine looks down at himself and suddenly feels _very_ exposed against the bright sunlight that filters in through the windows, but he can't find it in himself to get up and find a shirt. Instead, he leans back against the headboard (blushing as he remembers the _sound_ it had made last night when they...) and just stares at Kurt's sleeping form.

He knows this is weird, bordering on creepy, but Kurt is just so beautiful when he sleeps. Or is awake. Or does anything, really. He reaches out a hand and gently traces the lines on Kurt's arms, keeping his touch feather-light as to not wake him. 

Then, Kurt's eyes delicately flutter open and he sighs contentedly, doing a quick mini-stretch before turning his head and looking at Blaine. "Morning," he says sleepily, rubbing his eyes. He's just so _cute_ , Blaine wants to lean down and kiss him but he doesn't know if that would be appropriate. 

He finds it mildly amusing that they're literally naked in _bed_ together and he's still too afraid to kiss Kurt properly. "Morning." 

Kurt sits up and pauses, looking around the room. He looks at the clothes that are haphazardly strewn about the floor, then at his naked body under the covers... then at Blaine. Blaine sees how Kurt's eyes slowly widen with realisation as he remembers too. "Oh, my God," he whispers, "I slept with my best friends brother." There's a wide-eyed type of panic that Blaine sees in Kurt's eyes. It makes him deeply uncomfortable. "We slept together."

Blaine clears his throat. "I know, Kurt, I was there," he says, twisting the duvet around in his hands. Perhaps he's overstayed his welcome. "Are you gonna make this weird?" 

"How are you _not_ making this weird, Blaine?" Kurt asks, laughing slightly hysterically as he gets out of bed and rushes towards his dresser, pulling on a pair of boxers. Blaine fights the urge to pout as his new favourite view gets covered up. "How would you feel if one of _your_ friends slept with Rachel?"

Blaine wrinkles his nose. "Can we please not talk about my sister having sex while I'm naked?" he asks, climbing out from under the blanket to find his own clothes. He feels cold all of a sudden as he picks up his underwear (which had somehow made it to the opposite side of the room) and slides them on, glancing at Kurt as he frantically pulls on a pair of sweatpants. "Do you..." Blaine cuts himself off, the words getting stuck in his throat.

Kurt looks at him then and Blaine nearly folds. He's still shirtless, standing directly in front of a window which is casting the perfect amount of sunlight onto his chest. His eyes are wide and _so blue_ , Blaine wonders how Kurt doesn't have a series of lifeguards constantly following him around. "Do I...?" His voice is softer than it was just a second ago, calmer. 

He clears his throat as he picks up his shirt, shaking out the fabric and trying hopelessly to press out the wrinkles. "Do you regret sleeping with me?" 

Kurt's face softens. He furrows his eyebrows and leans his hip against the dresser, crossing his arms over his chest. Then, he smiles unexpectedly. It's a small smile, but it's there. "No, I don't," he says, walking over to Blaine slowly and taking the shirt out of his hands, placing it on the bed. "I just didn't expect this. I swear, I didn't come to your show _just_ to get a chance to seduce you or anything." Blaine chuckles, his chest feeling ten times lighter. 

"Careful, or else I might start to think you're lying," he says playfully, tentatively reaching out and taking one of Kurt's hands in his own. "And just for the record, _I_ certainly don't regret sleeping with you." Blaine hesitates, rubbing Kurt's knuckles with his thumb. "You know, I used to have a _huge_ crush on you when I was 14."

A pretty blush stains Kurt's cheeks and he groans, leaning forward and pressing his forehead against Blaine's shoulder. "Please don't mention your 14-year-old self to me right now," he says through a laugh, shaking his head. "I can't believe I've sullied you. You know, I'm pretty sure Rachel _still_ thinks you're the same pure, virginal teenager you were back then." 

"You didn't sully me, Kurt, believe me," Blaine says, rolling his eyes. "And besides, my romantic life is none of her concern."

Kurt hums noncommittally, looking down at where their hands are still clasped. "She would beg to differ," he mumbles. 

They both fall into a silence, neither one of them knowing what to say. Blaine sighs and sits down on the edge of Kurt's bed, pulling Kurt over to sit next to him. His heart is hammering in his chest. "So..." he starts, scraping his lips against his bottom lip nervously, "what now?"

Kurt shrugs but the movement looks too calculated to be natural. "What do you mean 'what now'?" he asks.

"I _mean_ was this just... a one time thing?" Blaine asks in return, trying his best not to get distracted by how good Kurt's lips look up close. 

"I..." Kurt trails off, nibbling on his thumbnail nervously. "Even if it wasn't -- and that's a big, _big_ 'if' -- you live in Los Angeles. I live here. I-It would never work." 

"So, you're saying if I _did_ live here, then things would be different?" Blaine asks, moving closer to Kurt until their thighs are pressed close together. His eyes are wide, searching Kurt's face for... well, he isn't sure _what_ he's searching for. 

Kurt groans again and stands up, covering his face with his hands. "I don't know! I-I don't..." he sighs and looks off into the corner of his bedroom, keeping his eyes trained and focused. "All I _do_ know is that last night when we met up, I hadn't been expecting... _you_." 

"Me?"

"Yes, you! Grown-up you! Suave, charming, handsome _you._ " Kurt's laughing but it doesn't sound humorous in the least. "I-I was expecting Rachel's adorable, bushy-haired little brother. And then I saw you onstage and it was like I was really seeing _you_ for the first time, not just... Rachel's brother." Blaine doesn't respond. He doesn't know how to, so Kurt keeps going. "I've known you my whole life, but I hadn't realised that I hadn't actually met you until last night." 

Blaine finds himself at a loss for words. So, he doesn't speak. Instead he stands up and cups Kurt's cheek, rubbing his cheekbone gently before leaning in slowly, slow enough to let Kurt pull away if he wants to. When he doesn't, Blaine presses their lips together gently. It's nothing like the intense, hurried, hot kisses they shared last night. It's soft and gentle, yet it _feels_ like so much more. 

When he pulls away, he stays close, resting his forehead against Kurt's as he drops his hand from his cheek to rest on the back of Kurt's neck. "Don't think for a second," Blaine murmurs, eyes half-shut. "How do you _feel?"_

Kurt lets out a shaky breath, his hands gripping Blaine's waist like he's a buoy in the middle of the ocean. He doesn't respond, instead closing his eyes and leaning in for another kiss, which Blaine happily returns.

* * *

_Call my doctor, call my lawyer, call my brother, call my priest._

_There's paperwork to fill out 'cause a dead man walks the streets,_

_'Cause my sister's got a best friend that I've known since I was three,_

_And now I'm gonna get strangled 'cause we tangled in the sheets._

* * *

Rachel doesn't find out until five months later. 

Blaine is at the airport, arms laden with suitcases as he looks around the gate, trying to find anyone he recognises. He walks out for a few more steps before he finally sees Kurt. He practically runs over to him, abandoning his suitcases to close the short distance between the two of them. He wraps his arms around Kurt's waist and hugs him tightly, lifting him up and spinning him in a circle as Kurt laughs and begs to be let down.

It turns out that going five months without touching Kurt was harder than Blaine had anticipated. There were times when he thought they wouldn't make it, times when he wondered if Kurt regretted saying _yes_ to trying to be together. It had been hard. 

But as he stands there with Kurt's arms firmly wrapped around him, he realises he wouldn't have had it any other way. Blaine pulls away but keeps his arms around Kurt's waist, leaning back to look at his face up close. 

"I've missed you," he says. The words are simple, cliched perhaps, but they hold so much weight. Blaine doesn't know if he can articulate his feelings beyond those three simple words. Before Kurt can respond, he cups his chin and pulls him close, kissing him with all the energy he has left in his body (which isn't much considering he's just been on a five hour flight that featured a crying baby and an arguing middle-aged couple). 

He feels Kurt kiss him back, familiar fingers running themselves through the hair on the nape of his neck, before he abruptly pulls away. Blaine furrows his eyebrows when his lips are no longer being kissed. "What's wrong?" he asks, dread sitting low in his stomach. 

"Nothing!" Kurt says quickly, cheeks pink. He looks like he's either going to burst into tears or start laughing at any moment. "It's just... you know how Rachel told you she wouldn't be able to pick you up from the airport?" 

Oh, no. Blaine let's go of his hold around Kurt's waist and Kurt steps aside, revealing Rachel standing just a few steps behind him, holding a bright pink sign that says ' _Welcome home, Blaine!'_ on it in bright, gold lettering. The sign is littered with gold star stickers. Rachel herself is staring at the both of them, mouth agape and knuckles turning increasingly white from how tight she's gripping the poster. 

"Blaine Anderson, you...and-and Kurt!" she says, eyes flitting between the two of them manically. "You have a _lot_ of explaining to do!"

Blaine groans and hides his warm face in his hands, leaning into Kurt as he feels his boyfriend begin to soothingly rub his back. 

He can tell it's going to be a _long_ cab ride.

**Author's Note:**

> IT'S 4AM AND I HAVE WORK TOMORROW AND MY NECK HURTS BUT I'M SO GLAD I FINISHED THIS TODAYF DKSLFJSL 
> 
> I hope it actually makes sense and that y'all like it!! comments and kudos are very VERY much appreciated and I love and cherish them all even if i don't respond!!! 
> 
> also, if y'all would like to, give me a follow on tumblr or twitter @byebyeblainey!
> 
> okay i'm going to BED. LOVE Y'ALL!
> 
> \- Brit xx


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